Session 1

How to separate truth from lies

From 2 John and 3 John: A 3-Day Devotional

2 John is a letter from John, one of Jesus' original followers, to a dear friend and her family. At the time, a number of teachers were starting to argue that Jesus couldn't be both God and human. John warns his friends not to believe this lie and encourages them to hold fast to the truth. Thousands of years later, John’s warning about false teaching is as relevant as when he wrote it.

Even in a small town with churches on every corner, finding Christians who understand the Bible is hard. Discussions on faith often unveil a mixture of karma, Oprah-isms, political correctness, and the belief that “all roads lead to heaven.” Too many of us spend far too long saying we're Christians without truly understanding what it is we believe. 

Just like the friends John wrote to, people will tell us all sorts of things "in the name of Jesus." Sometimes, their lies are politically motivated. Sometimes, their words are financially motivated. And sometimes, people will say whatever it takes not to offend anyone. The problem is that the Gospel is offensive. What makes "the good news" news is that it announces a changing of the guard: The old way of doing things is gone! Jesus has defeated death, and He's coming back to make things right. 

We are all vulnerable to being fooled by the prevailing beliefs of our culture. The only way to know what's true is to know who Jesus actually was and what He actually said. The best way to separate truth from lies is to read the Bible diligently and surround ourselves with people who will point us back to Scripture.

Ask the Holy Spirit to help you recognize and defeat false teaching. The enemy strives to deceive us, but we are more than conquerors in Christ (Romans 8:37). We can separate truth from lies by clinging to Jesus, the one who is the way, the truth, and the life.

Reflect: 

• What are some common lies you've heard about Jesus, the Bible, or church?
• What's one belief or position that's changed as you've read the Bible?
• Do you think it's possible to love someone and disagree with them? Why or why not?